Franky Martinez

Franky Martinez
Personal information
Date of birth (1995-08-09) 9 August 1995 (age 29)
Place of birth New York City, New York, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Lexington SC
Number 33
Youth career
2013-14 PDA
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014 Iona Gaels 18 (1)
2016–2018 UMass Lowell River Hawks 40 (0)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020 Los Angeles Force 2 (0)
2021 Stumptown AC 23 (0)
2022 Chattanooga FC 22 (0)
2023 Lexington SC 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 16, 2023

Franky Martinez (born August 9, 1995) is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Lexington SC in the USL League One.

Career

Youth, College & Amateur

Raised in Englewood, New Jersey, Martinez attended Academies at Englewood,[1] also playing club soccer with the New York Red Bulls Academy[2] and winning the National Championship with PDA Academy in 2013.[3]

In 2014, Martinez attended Iona College to play college soccer. He played one season with the Gaels, making 18 appearances and scoring a goal, earning an All-MAAC Rookie Team selection.[3] In 2016, Martinez transferred to the University of Massachusetts Lowell where he made 40 appearances and tallied one assist for the River Hawks.[1]

While at college, Martinez appeared in the USL PDL, later rebranded as USL League Two, in 2016 and 2018. In 2016, he made 11 appearances for Lehigh Valley United[4] and played in three games for the Boston Bolts in 2018.[5]

Professional

On January 14, 2019, Martinez was selected 69th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City.[6][7]

In August of 2020, Martinez signed with National Independent Soccer Association side Los Angeles Force.[8] After a single season with the Force, Martinez moved to fellow NISA side Stumptown AC and went on to make 23 starts for the club. In 2022, he signed with a new club, joining Chattanooga FC.[9][10][11]

On January 14, 2023, Martinez signed with USL League One side Lexington SC ahead of their inaugural season.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b "Franky Martinez - Men's Soccer". UMass Lowell Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  2. ^ Bulls, New York Red. "Youth | NewYorkRedBulls.com". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Franky Martinez - Men's Soccer". Iona University Athletics. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  4. ^ "Lehigh Valley United - 2016 Regular Season - Roster - # - Franky Martinez - M". www.uslleaguetwo.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  5. ^ "Boston Bolts - 2018 Regular Season - Roster - # - Franky Martinez -". www.uslleaguetwo.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  6. ^ City, Sporting Kansas. "Sporting KC selects center back Franky Martinez in third round of 2019 MLS SuperDraft". Sporting Kansas City. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  7. ^ Smith, Chad (Jan 14, 2019). "Sporting KC Select Defender Franky Martinez in 3rd Round". The Blue Testament. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  8. ^ "Player Details | National Independent Soccer Association". nisasoccer.com. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  9. ^ "Franky Martinez undergoes successful arm surgery". Chattanooga FC. April 15, 2022. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  10. ^ "Franky Martinez". Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  11. ^ FC, Chattanooga (Mar 14, 2022). "10 Questions: Franky Martinez". Chattanooga FC. Retrieved June 10, 2023.
  12. ^ "New York native Franky Martinez signs with Lexington SC". Retrieved June 10, 2023.